Coyote and Summer People

He is a Trickster, everyone knows.  Or should know.  Like they should know not to put their bear-baiting trash out before garbage morning.

That coyote was close, loud and happy - alerting all the other spine-chilling forest creatures to the presence of a fat juicy cat*. He was close and loud enough to make me jump and run - down the hill clutching damp laundry, overcome with terror, trailing Big dog, who thought it no Big deal. I was out to save the cat by beating off the coyotes with a wet towel.  He was thinking, will dinner be delayed?

I was both heartbroken and relieved when I couldn't find her bloodied head anywhere and reasoned, after a deep breath or two, that a coyote wouldn't be singing with a mouthful of cat.  Nevertheless, I had fully resigned myself to her death when, a long six or seven minutes later, she arrived demanding dinner.

 

 

* Yes, yes, I know I should keep Fat and Juicy indoors.  But have you ever tried to keep a once-feral cat inside?  On a nice day with chipmunks?

Comments

[bg]

Yipes, nothing like that feeling. Glad the kitties are safe.

I'm hoping we hear more back story on the cash crop at Bandelier. You are one of the people I think could get more on that. . .

[suz]

Yes, I have tried to keep my feral cat indoors. The good and bad news -- over eleven years she went from always wanting to be out to having a preference for indoors when it was raining, thundering, snowing or in extreme cold or heat conditions. (the really bad news, last year a dog got under the fence and came in the yard and killed her; still brings me to tears.)